No Spark on '97 Prelude

[Cessnadriver]

I've got a co-worker with a 97 lude that will not start.
Engine spins fine.
No spark, pluge have faint gasoline odor, though not wet.
Has been stalling on firtd startup of the day for a week.
Now it will not start at all.
Checked for spark at coil wire.
Ohmed out coil, within spec.
Getting 12 volts to proper pins on coil.
He swears this started when he first put 87 octane in it. I'm skeptical this is the problem.

Questions:
1. can the pgmfi relay cause this (no spark, i mean)
2. Is the ignition control module problematic on these cars, and does this sound like an ICM problem.
?????????
Thanks

[94PreludeJDM]

I don't know if this would be the problem, but Preludes aren't supposed to run on anything put Premium gas, Super + at minimum. Depending how hard he drove it, maybe that could have caused something. It's kind of a stretch, I don't know if that would cause the engine not to start.

[Cessnadriver]

Originally Posted by 94PreludeJDM

I don't know if this would be the problem, but Preludes aren't supposed to run on anything put Premium gas, Super + at minimum. Depending how hard he drove it, maybe that could have caused something. It's kind of a stretch, I don't know if that would cause the engine not to start.

Thanks for the reply,
I doubt very seriously if he drove it hard at all.
He has since filled it with AMOCO Premium unleaded, but to no avail.

[Gohan Ryu]

You're getting a spark from the coil but it's not getting to the plugs? Sounds like the distributor...

[Crucified Ego]

I don't think that's right.. I"m pretty sure Preludes are supposed to run on 'regular' 87/8 octane gas. Anything more actually combusts faster, a bad thing, and will only help if the car has a ping/tick problem.

-J

[Gohan Ryu]

Originally Posted by Crucified Ego

I don't think that's right.. I"m pretty sure Preludes are supposed to run on 'regular' 87/8 octane gas. Anything more actually combusts faster, a bad thing, and will only help if the car has a ping/tick problem.

-J

Nope - all high compression vtec engines need the high octane premium - 91 octane minimum I think.

Bad gas still wouldn't cause the spark/ignition problem though.

[Crucified Ego]

Hmm. You're right. I should have done more searching before I posted that, my bad.

-J

[Cessnadriver]

Well, we changed the min relay, no luck. Had to turn it over to a local shop as the owner really needs the car back in service quickly. I didn't want to start throwing electrical part$ at it that cannot be returned for refund. I'm thinking ICM or perhaps a TDC sensor. The fuel pump does cycle when the key goes to "on" position.

[partyhardryan16]

Not sure if this will help, but after 75k miles, 97' ludes are due for a free tune up from honda dealerships due to a recal in the plugs, wires, rotor, and distributor cap... not sure if this has anything to due with it though, but he should check to see if his lude has had this free tune up done already or not.

[AcesHigh]

Check the firing order of the spark plug wires. This is the 75% cause of a car not starting up, when people take out their spark plugs from the dizzy and cylinder and then put them back in incorrect order.

Each of the connectors on the dizzy goes to a specific cylinder, and if this order is incorrect, the car will not start.

[Cessnadriver]

Well, the problem ended up being a bad Ignition Control Module within the distributor.
The coil was getting 12 v but there was never ANY spark. I'm not sure I made that clear.
Changing out the main relay ws probably a good idea, according to the mech at the shop as they all fail eventually anyway.
Thanks to all who replied.

[partyhardryan16]

did you read what i said budd, about the free ignition tune up?

[Cessnadriver]

Originally Posted by partyhardryan16

did you read what i said budd, about the free ignition tune up?

Yup.
he said it had already been done.
Thanks, though